Home tour: A timeless London apartment by Joyce Wang

In the heart of a historical London icon, Joyce Wang Studio creates a home where timeless design and global influences coexist in perfect harmony

To tackle an ambitious brief of designing a home for a globetrotter in the heart of one of London’s most prestigious neighbourhoods, boutique design firm Joyce Wang Studio had to leave any expectations at the door and start with a blank slate to conjure up a truly eclectic, yet authentic, home.

The design brief, while broad, drove the firm’s effort to look for inspiration from diverse influences of global tastemakers—a homage to the location of the home within the former upscale department store The Whiteley, which has undergone a £1.2 billion (S$2 billion) transformation into a residential and hospitality address.

With the design of the four-bedroom residence that sits behind the building’s historical façade meticulously restored by the architectural firm Foster + Partners, Joyce Wang Studio set out to craft the apartment as a layered journey, with custom pieces spanning eras and continents, as well as collectables from and inspired by the client’s travels.

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Photo 1 of 2 A grand piano mediates the living and dining areas while a wall-hung blue tapestry lends a vibrant touch

Photo 2 of 2 A corner sitting area with a wealth of textures in calming neutral hues

A grand piano mediates the living and dining areas while a wall-hung blue tapestry lends a vibrant touch

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Crafting the different spaces, studio founder Joyce Wang also wanted to allude to the innovative spirit of William Whiteley, the founder of the original 1911 department store, who brought together an elevated selection of wares from across the globe.

“Within the apartment, a rich juxtaposition emerges, featuring inherited Asian ceramics and 1800s antiques alongside heirlooms and custom tapestry artwork,” explains Wang. “This blend of contemporary pieces and timeless collectables reflects a spirit of exploration and a deep appreciation for a myriad of cultures.”

With a soaring six-metre-high ceiling, the living room is one of the apartment’s most striking spaces, featuring a 400 sq ft, 2.7 metre-tall mezzanine with floor-to-ceiling interior windows that overlook a central living space below. To reflect and emphasise the scale and proportion of the room, Wang introduced another feature—a custom-made built-in bookcase, featuring an integrated marble fireplace.

Above This nook’s handsome mid-century desk and woven-cane chair stand out with their dark finish

This nook’s handsome mid-century desk and woven-cane chair stand out with their dark finish

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This addition helps to balance the grandeur of the room, ensuring it still feels homely and liveable. “We curated a beautiful library for the bookcase—a unique selection of orange book binds, in varying shades and tones of the colour,” remarks Wang on the meticulous curation of every element of the room.

As far as the overall colour selections and details go, Wang made a conscious decision to exercise formality and tasteful restraint to preserve and evolve the unique character and Edwardian heritage of the building. “Elevations, cornicing, panelling and moulding designs all echo the language of The Whiteley’s architecture, with a sense of modernity and freshness evoked through playful colours and a bold reimagining of volumes,” describes Wang.

She embraced rich tactile experiences through the choice of materials including bouclé, tapestry, mohair, reflective metal surfaces, and wood grain seen throughout the apartment. While a neutral, liveable colour palette is dominant throughout, hues of green were brought in to summon the outdoors; colour accents in the bedrooms included calming blues, soft blush tones and shades of warm ochre.

Photo 1 of 2 This compact bedroom beautifully captures the essence of William Whiteley

Photo 2 of 2 In another bedroom, a tall, deep-green headboard and foliage-motif curtains bring the outdoors in

This compact bedroom beautifully captures the essence of William Whiteley

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Where Wang applied texture, she also strove to consider how natural and decorative sources of light would interact with those surfaces, and also how closely they would have an influence on emotive responses.

Wallpaper became instrumental in tying the spaces together, and bringing colour and warmth to the more private spaces of the home. Wang curated the selection of patterns and prints to add a playful touch to various guest rooms and hallways, as well as the mezzanine to feature a custom wallpaper by Fromental.

“These statement wallpapers are versatile, personal and impactful,” explains Wang. “They effectively set the scene and work to create an inviting atmosphere.”

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Above Wang’s design sensibilities transform this snug corner into a captivating vignette, rich with layered textures

In this sumptuous bathroom, a striking octagonal mirror elegantly complements the dark marble surfaces, creating a luxurious atmosphere that exudes sophistication and style

Above In this sumptuous bathroom, a striking octagonal mirror elegantly complements the dark marble surfaces, creating a luxurious atmosphere that exudes sophistication and style

Wang’s design sensibilities transform this snug corner into a captivating vignette, rich with layered textures

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By adopting a more contemporary approach to the material and colour palette of the apartment, Wang ultimately brings emphasis to the eclecticism of the collectables, heirlooms, custom-made limited editions, antiques and crafts which reflect the spirit of travel and adventure.

The designer’s mix of exclusive pieces includes furniture from Irish brand Orior, antique chandeliers from the Georgian era to the turn of the 20th century period, and rugs and tapestry from Aubusson’s Pinton featuring ‘La Grande Porte Bleue’ tapestry.

As Wang puts it: “The curated curios are arranged for elevated contrast, with rustic and textured pieces set against sleek surfaces, while organic and avant-garde elements are balanced by more familiar counterparts.”

Given carte blanche and the freedom to explore, Wang’s approach resonates with the spirit of both the apartment and the building. More than just an ode to the penchants of the firm’s client, the apartment preserves and evolves the unique character and Edwardian heritage of the building, and unabashedly blends the old and the new in one harmonious design combination.